YORKSHIRE Bowls Association kicked of their 2016 Middleton Cup campaign in style with a 17-5 victory against Nottinghamshire at Dunnington.

Coming into the fixture on the back of consecutive defeats, pressure was on the White Rose to secure a positive result in the blue riband competition and the team got off to a fantastic start with the all-Nafferton rink, skipped by England international Ben Render, taking a 10-0 lead.

By ten ends Yorkshire were nine up overall which grew slowly as the game developed to leave the Tykes 22 up with a few ends left.

With victories for Render, Dominic Kelly and Vinnie O’Neil’s rinks in addition to a draw from York RI ace Paul Humphreys' rink, Yorkshire finished the job in style with a 29-shot victory.

The team also included A Humphreys (York RI Ams), G Bunce (Haxby Road), P Parsons (Holgate), M Bruce (York RI Ams) and P Emmerson (Holgate).

Yorkshire's Alsop Cup side also bounced back from their defeat to Cumbria to take 18 points from Durham at Houghton Dairy Lane BC.

The turning point was between ten and 15 ends when Yorkshire stretched a nominal lead to 27 shots overall, going on to win by 28, with wins for the rinks skipped by John Philips, Phil Reeves, Peter Jackson and Dale Phillips.

The team included Nigel Macdonald (Holgate), C Knowles (Thornton le Dale), J Crowe (Holgate WMC), G Bell (Holgate WMC), S Lea (Holgate WMC), D Phillips (Holgate), P Reeves (Haxby Road), J Phillips (Selby), A Bailey (Holgate), M Britton (York RI Ams), B Chapman (York RI Ams) and P Jackson (Holgate WMC).

Meanwhile, Clarence took advantage of Railway Institute having a week off by taking maximum points from Tramways and going top of the York C&IU Evening League.

The now sit one point ahead of Holgate, who also won 6-2 at Acomb.

Poppleton Road are making good progress this season, having won four of their five games, while Burton Lane, who are usually in the top three, have won only one of their six games so far.

Meanwhile, Wigginton 'B' secured a semi-final spot in the Ryedale Veterans' League's Sundella Cup after winning 77-57 at Thornton-le-Dale with impressive scores from the rinks of David Moorhouse (34-9) and skip Tony Baker (21-10).

Wigginton also achieved their first win in the Huby Triples League taking all ten points at home to Huby (75-53) from the winning rinks of skips Norma Davies (18-8), Baker (20-13), Colin Ellis (20-17) and Moorhouse (17-15).

Wigginton maintained their winning run in the Batagas Triples League with a six-point victory at Terrington. Although tying the aggregate 53-53, they secured the points with two winning and a drawn rink from skips Jane Stockton (16-14), Davies (16-13) and Gary Stockton.

l THE first round of the Williamson Cup saw a few surprises, with unbeaten first division leaders Dunnington, succumbing to lowly Holgate, on their home turf.

Holgate were playing short, yet still managed to pull off a fine wine by 85.75 shots to 70.

Another shock was the home defeat of first division Dringhouses, who stumbled against a confident Burnholme side, who are holding second place in the second division, by a thumping 35 shots 52-87.

All the remaining first division sides except Selby were playing away to lower opposition, and they all came through without too much trouble.

Selby had a comfortable home win against Osbaldwick 107-49.

The remaining all second division clashes saw Shipton See off Harrogate 103-55, and Hull Road Park just edge out West Park in the last few ends by 78.5 shots to 69.5